SINCE THE RAPTURE OCCURS BEFORE THE FUTURE 7 YR TREATY IS SIGNED, I WONT BE AROUND TO HAVE THE ACTUAL TREATY SIGNING. BUT UNTIL THEN THIS SITE IS DEDICATED TO THE BEGININGS OF THE ISRAELI / ARAB PEACE PROCESS. AND AS CLOSE TO THE 7 YEAR SIGNING THAT WE GET BEFORE THE RAPTURE OF THE SAVED TO HEAVEN. UNTIL WE MEET JESUS IN THE CLOUDS BODILY, AND COME TO EARTH 7 YRS LATER.

Friday, November 24, 2017

ISRAEL MAY TARGET IRAN ACTIVITY IN SYRIA, NETANYAHU TELLS THE EUROPEAN UNIONS MACRON OF FRANCE.

JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE
RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN
LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER
SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE
ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST
FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of
the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the
adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

EZEKIEL 39:11-12,1811
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog
(RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of
the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of
the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall
they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and
they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300
MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)

EZEKIEL 39:17-2117
And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every
feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves,
and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do
sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel,
that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF RUSSIAN/ISLAMIC HORDES
AGAINST ISRAEL)18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink
the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats,
of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.21
And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall
see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon
them.22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.

REVELATION 19:17-1817
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice,
saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and
gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL
NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)18 That ye
may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of
mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and
the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

EZEKIEL 38:1-71 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,2
Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA)
the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy
against him,3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against
thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and
Tubal:TOBOLSK)4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into
thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee
forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with
all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields,
all of them handling swords:5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:6
Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of
the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)7 Be thou prepared, and
prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto
thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

EZEKIEL 39:1-81
Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and
say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the
chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)2 And I will
turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the
sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I
BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA)
and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.4
Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,(
ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the
ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be
devoured.5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.6
And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them
that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the
LORD.7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people
Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the
heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

MOSCOW (AP) — The leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran
on Wednesday discussed ways to promote a peaceful settlement in Syria,
including the return of refugees, humanitarian aid and prisoners’
exchange, while fractured Syrian opposition groups were meeting in Saudi
Arabia in a bid to overcome their divisions and form a united front for
Syrian peace talks in Geneva.“Militants in Syria have received a
decisive blow, and there is a real chance to put an end to the civil war
that has raged for many years,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said
at the start of talks with Turkish and Iranian counterparts in the
Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.Putin noted that political settlement
will require concessions from all sides, including Syrian President
Bashar Assad’s government.Assad made a surprise trip to Russia late
Monday for talks with Putin, which the Kremlin said were intended to lay
the groundwork for Wednesday’s trilateral meeting.Speaking after the
three-way talks, Putin said the Syrian leader pledged to conduct
constitutional reforms and hold new elections under UN supervision.“The
process of reforms isn’t going to be easy and will require concessions
and compromises from all those involved, including the Syrian
government,” he said.In their joint statement after the talks, Putin,
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan emphasized the need for all parties in the Syrian conflict to
release all prisoners and hostages, hand over bodies and search for
those missing to help create conditions for a lasting cease-fire and the
launch of political talks.They also called on other countries to
provide humanitarian aid, clear Syrian territory of mines and restore
vital infrastructure destroyed by the war.“We have reached a consensus
on helping the transition to an inclusive, free, fair and transparent
political process that will be carried out under the leadership and
ownership of the Syrian people,” Erdogan said.Even though Russia and
Iran have backed Assad’s government since the start of the Syrian
conflict in March 2011, while Turkey has supported his foes, the three
countries have teamed up to help mediate a peace settlement.They have
sponsored several rounds of talks between the Syrian government and the
opposition in Astana, Kazakhstan, and also have brokered a truce between
Syria’s government and the rebels in four areas, helping reduce
hostilities.UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, asked about the trilateral
meeting of the leaders, said: “Our focus remains on the meetings that
will begin in Geneva on November 28. We hope that all the other
processes that are underway will contribute to a successful round of
talks in Geneva.”Meanwhile, the UN envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura
spoke at the opening of a three-day gathering of the Syrian opposition
in Riyadh, where around 30 opposition groups are expected to come up
with a unified delegation and a vision for the Geneva talks.De Mistura
said he planned to have two rounds of talks in Geneva in December. He is
set to travel to Moscow later this week.“It is our common interest that
today, you elect the best and most inclusive team among yourselves,” de
Mistura said. “A strong, unified team is a creative partner in Geneva
and we need that.”The Riyadh meeting, however, has already been marred
with disagreements. The notoriously fragmented opposition is divided by
visions of a future role for Assad, the length of a transitional period
as well as the constitution that will see the country move toward
elections.Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said in opening remarks
that the opposition meeting comes amid international consensus to reach a
resolution.“There is no resolution to the crisis without Syrian
consensus that achieves the demands of the Syrian people and ends their
suffering,” al-Jubeir said.Russia, which has welcomed the Saudi efforts
to unify the opposition, will also be hosting a meeting in Sochi that’s
expected to bring the opposition and Syrian government together in early
December. Turkey and Iran pledged Wednesday to help the success of that
meeting.Earlier this month, the first attempt to convene it failed amid
differences, reportedly including the participation of Kurds.Turkey
sees US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters as a terror group and an
extension of Kurdish militants that have waged a three-decade-long
insurgency inside its borders.Erdogan on Wednesday strongly reaffirmed
Turkey’s objection to Kurdish Syrian militia playing a part in
negotiations on Syria’s future.“The exclusion from the process of
terrorist elements that target Syria’s political unity and territorial
integrity as well as our national security will continue to remain our
priority,” he said. “No one should expect us to come under the same
roof, to appear on the same platform as a terror organization.”Russia
has been involved in a delicate diplomatic dance, trying to engage the
Kurds without offending Turkey. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, dodged
a question about Kurdish participation in the planned Sochi meeting,
saying only that it should be “inclusive.”Putin, whose military
intervention in the war saved Assad’s government from imminent defeat,
called US President Donald Trump, Saudi King Salman, Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi
on Tuesday to brief them on his talks with Assad and coordinate the
planned peace efforts.Putin’s broad outreach highlighted a key role
Russia has come to play in the Syrian conflict and reflected Moscow’s
desire to engage all key players.Some of the opposition delegations in
Riyadh are backed by Gulf countries, which had sided with the anti-Assad
rebellion, while others have been supported by Russia. Another
opposition group is backed by Egypt, which has also kept contacts with
the Syrian government.The Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV said some members of
the Russia-backed delegation withdrew from the meeting. A member of the
delegation, Qadri Jamil, said they backed out to object other
delegations putting conditions on the talks, including limiting a future
role for Assad. The Russia-backed opposition is promoting political
reform under Assad’s rule.

Israel may ‘target’ Iran
activity in Syria, Netanyahu said to tell Macron-According to reported
transcript of phone call, PM says the goal must be to minimize Tehran's
influence in Syria and Lebanon-By TOI staff-23 November 2017

Israel
sees Iranian activity in Syria as “a target” for its forces, and may
carry out strikes against Iranian objectives if security needs require
it, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told French President
Emmanuel Macron in a phone call this week.Channel 10 reported Wednesday
that it had obtained a transcript of Sunday’s call. In it, Netanyahu is
said to have told the French leader that “from now on, Israel sees
Iran’s activities in Syria as a target. We will not hesitate to act, if
our security needs require us to do so.”Macron reportedly attempted to
reassure the Israeli leader and dissuade him from “hasty” action.The
conversation took place a day after Macron met in Paris with Lebanese
Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Macron, seeking to calm regional concerns
over Lebanon’s leadership crisis, is said to have informed Netanyahu
that Hariri planned to officially resign upon returning to Lebanon.The
Israeli leader, according to the transcript, said in response that he
was not interested in Lebanon’s internal issues.“I don’t care who the
Lebanese prime minister is or what goes on in the internal politics
there. What worries me is the strengthening of Hezbollah with Iran’s
support,” Netanyahu reportedly said. “What’s important is that all the
factions in Lebanon work to prevent the arming of Hezbollah with
additional advanced weaponry. The goal must be to minimize Iran’s
influence, not only in Lebanon but also in Syria.“Israel has tried up
until now not to intervene in what is going on in Syria. But after the
victory over Islamic State, the situation has changed because the
pro-Iranian forces have taken control,” the prime minister went
on.Netanyahu then reportedly warned: “From now on, Israel sees Iran’s
activities in Syria as a target. We will not hesitate to act, if our
security needs require us to do so.”Macron reportedly tried to reassure
and calm Netanyahu: “I agree that the influence of Iran and Hezbollah in
Syria and Lebanon must be minimized. But Lebanon’s stability must be
maintained. Cautious action, not hasty action, is required.”Macron also
reportedly spoke with Netanyahu about the state of the nuclear accord
with Iran, saying “It’s important to keep the nuclear deal. We must
support the moderates in Iran and not make it harder for them.”On
Tuesday Netanyahu spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone
about a ceasefire deal in the Syrian civil war and Iranian presence near
Israel’s borders with the war-torn country, the Prime Minister’s Office
said.The conversation was the latest in a series of high-level contacts
between Israel and Russia, amid a dispute between the countries over
allowing Iran and Shiite militias backed by Tehran to maintain a
foothold in Syria near the Israeli border.“The conversation lasted about
half an hour and dealt with Syria, and Iran’s attempt to entrench
itself in Syria,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. “Netanyahu
insisted on Israeli security and reiterated his opposition to Iran’s
entrenchment in Syria.”The conversation came a day after Moscow’s envoy
to Israel said Iran’s military presence in Syria was solely dedicated to
the “war on terrorism.”“Russia respects the Israeli concerns in the
field of national security,” Alexander Shein wrote in a message posted
on his official Facebook page.On October 17, Netanyahu met with Russian
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Jerusalem, where the two men discussed
the Islamic Republic’s attempt to establish itself militarily in
Syria.“Iran needs to understand that Israel will not allow this,”
Netanyahu told Shoigu, according to his office.According to an unnamed
Israeli official, under the Syrian ceasefire deal, militias associated
with Iran would be allowed to maintain positions as close as five to
seven kilometers (3.1-4.3 miles) to the border in some areas, Reuters
reported last week.Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said Israel will
not tolerate Iran’s presence in Syria as part of the US-Russian
ceasefire deal, especially near the Israeli border.“We simply will not
allow Shiite and Iranian entrenchment in Syria. And we will not allow
all of Syria to become a forward-operating base against the State of
Israel. Whoever doesn’t understand that — should understand that,”
Liberman said.The Israeli Air Force has carried out numerous airstrikes
in Syria on weapons convoys bound for the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror
group, though it rarely acknowledges individual raids. Hezbollah has
sent thousands of its fighters to help Assad’s forces put down the
insurgency, which has dragged on for six years.Earlier this month, the
BBC, citing a Western security official, reported that Iran was setting
up a permanent base on a site used by the Syrian army near el-Kiswah, 14
kilometers (8 miles) south of Damascus, and 50 kilometers (30 miles)
from the Israeli border.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

LUKE 21:28-2928
And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS
FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your
redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)30
When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that
summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT
COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)

JOEL 2:3,303 A
fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES
AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the
garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea,
and nothing shall escape them.30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)

ZECHARIAH 14:12-1312
And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the
people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume
away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and
their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)
and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM
ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD
PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)13 And it shall come to pass in that
day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they
shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand
shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN
WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)

EZEKIEL 20:4747 And say
to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the
Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour
every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall
not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be
burned therein.

ZEPHANIAH 1:1818 Neither their silver nor
their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath;
but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for
he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MALACHI 4:11
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC
BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be
stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of
hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

And here
are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through
war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only
Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land
in the future.Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel,
Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half
of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18,
Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY
OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND
IN THE FUTURE

Pence plans to address Knesset during Israel
trip-Israeli officials say the US vice president offered to speak before
the legislature when he visits in December, and they immediately
accepted-By TOI staff-23 November 2017

US Vice President
Mike Pence will speak before the Knesset when he visits Israel in
mid-December, Channel 10 news reported Wednesday.Top Israeli officials
told the TV station that Pence had been the one to suggest an address to
the Israeli parliament, an offer that was immediately accepted.Pence
will be the first top US official to address the Knesset since George W.
Bush’s visit in May of 2008.The vice president will arrive in Israel on
December 18, where he will be received at a formal ceremony. His speech
before the Knesset is expected on the same day.Pence’s address is
likely to concentrate on the alliance between the two nations, and to
devote a significant amount of time to the regional threat posed by
Iran.During his visit, Pence is to discuss the prospects for a Middle
East peace agreement in separate meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, according
to the White House.The vice president will also travel to Egypt and meet
with President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, to highlight US-Egypt cooperation
on security issues.Pence also plans to have meetings with government
and religious leaders to discuss combating the persecution of religious
minorities — including Christians — in the broader Middle East.AP
contributed to this report.

BAGHDAD, Iraq
(AFP) — A proposal in Iraq’s parliament to scrap the minimum age for
Muslim girls to marry has stirred outrage among critics who view it as a
license “to rape children.”Conservative Shiite deputies on October 31
proposed an amendment to a 1959 law that set the minimum age for
marriage at 18.The initial legislation, passed shortly after the fall of
the Iraqi monarchy, transferred the right to decide on family affairs
from religious authorities to the state and its judiciary.But now the
new bill looks to go back on that — and would authorize the marriage of
any girl if it had the consent of the religious leaders from the Shiite
or Sunni Muslim community to which her parents belong.In effect, it
makes “the opinion of the Shiite and Sunni ulema (scholars) obligatory
for judges,” said a liberal independent MP, Faiq al-Sheikh, a member of
Iraq’s legal commission.Historically, he recalled, Islam has allowed the
marriage of pubescent girls from the age of nine, the same as Aisha
when she is believed to have been married to the Prophet Mohammed.Social
media has been flooded with criticism of the parliamentary bill,
ranging from outright indignation to black humor, with anger also rife
on the streets.“It’s a law worthy of the Islamic State (jihadist group)
that provides legal cover to the rape of children,” Hadi Abbas, an army
retiree in the southern city of Kut, told AFP.Ali Lefta, a 40-year-old
teacher in the port city of Basra, said it amounted to “the murder of
the innocence of children” and that the bill was “the latest in a string
of stupid laws based on tribal and confessional modes of thinking.”In
defense of the bill sponsored by his party, Ammar Toama, who heads the
Shiite parliamentary group Fadila, said it “makes no mention of age and
stipulates only that she (bride) must be pubescent, capable of deciding,
and have the accord of her tutor and a judge.”Under the Iraqi
constitution, citizens have to declare their religious affiliation on
certain issues. Marriage and inheritance terms for Shiites differ from
those for Sunnis.Toama said the bill’s aim was to bring the law “in line
with the beliefs” of practising Muslims.But foreign missions in Baghdad
and the United Nations have been up in arms, warning against
institutionalized discrimination against women and girls.Many Iraqis
like Safia Mohssen, a mother of three girls, also remain opposed and
have taken to mocking the priorities of parliamentarians.“We have war,
crises, unemployment, and yet our parliament is busy with laws that
violate children’s rights!” she fumed. “The Islamists want to take us
back to the Middle Ages.”Majeda al-Tamimi, a woman legislator, said she
was confident that many of her colleagues in parliament would oppose the
bill.But whether it passes or not, women like Umm Mohammed in the
conservative rural province of Zi Qar, who wed at the age of 14, said
marriage was a family affair.“Only families know when their daughter has
reached puberty and at what age she can marry,” said the 65-year-old
Iraqi.

Liberman’s party presses coalition to advance death
penalty for terrorists-Yisrael Beytenu's MK Robert Ilatov says
legislation has been languishing in ministerial panel for nearly a
month-By Marissa Newman and Alexander Fulbright-NOV 23,17-TOI

A
Yisrael Beytenu lawmaker on Thursday urged coalition chairman David
Bitan to advance legislation to apply the death penalty to convicted
terrorists.In a letter, MK Robert Ilatov said the legislation — the
advancement of which is detailed as a condition in the party’s coalition
agreements — has languished in the Ministerial Committee for
Legislation since late October, when he revived the bill.“As you know,
this is an important and essential item for Yisrael Beytenu and was one
of the cornerstones for its entry into the government and coalition,”
Ilatov wrote. “Despite this, we see there are those in the coalition who
are trying to dissolve this important issue.”The party, headed by
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, has long advocated introducing the
death penalty for terrorists. The issue was one of its key campaign
promises in the 2015 elections.While the proposed legislation has
previously failed to garner sufficient support, Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu voiced approval for the measure.Following a terror attack in
July in the West Bank settlement of Halamish, in which a Palestinian
stabbed to death three family members of the Salomon family as they
celebrated the birth of a grandson in their home, Netanyahu said he
supported the death penalty for the terrorist, saying it was a fitting
punishment for a “base murderer.”Despite the comment by Netanyahu and a
number of other top right-wing political figures at the time, an IDF
prosecutor said the punishment is not Israeli policy, despite it being
permissible under law.In Israel, the death penalty is applicable only in
limited circumstances, and has only been carried out once in a civilian
court — against Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, one of the architects
of the Final Solution, in 1962.According to a poll in August, over 70
percent of Jewish Israelis said they support the death penalty for
terrorists.The Knesset has several times rejected legislation that would
apply the death penalty to Palestinian terrorists, including in
Netanyahu governments.

Arab American groups offer to host
PLO mission if shuttered by US-Arab and Jewish organizations urge Rex
Tillerson to reconsider decision to close down Palestinian office in
Washington-By JTA-TOI-NOV 23,17

WASHINGTON — Arab
American groups offered to host the Palestine Liberation Organization in
their offices if the Trump administration shuts down the PLO
representation in Washington.“If your staff are shut out and forced to
move, you’re welcome to use tables and have desks and internet in our
office,” James Zogby, the president of the Arab American Institute, said
Wednesday in a conference call with reporters.Samer Khalaf, the
president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, also
extended the offer.The Trump administration says it is in the process of
shuttering the PLO office, at least temporarily, because the
organization has violated a US law that triggers a shutdown if the PLO
pursues actions against Israelis in the International Criminal Court.The
conference call came as nine Arab American groups urged Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson to stop the shuttering of the office.“Shutting down
the PLO mission would undermine US credibility as an honest peace broker
just as President Donald Trump plans to advance ‘the ultimate deal’ to
resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; a deal that’s difficult to
achieve even under the best of circumstances,” the letter said.Two
liberal pro-Israel groups, J Street and Americans for Peace Now, also
have called on the Trump administration not to shut the office. “This
foolish move undermines Palestinian Chief Representative Husam Zomlot,
who has been a tireless advocate for a two-state solution and vocal
public backer of the administration’s efforts to date toward viable
negotiations,” J Street said.APN noted that the Trump administration’s
hands were tied by the law, passed by Congress in 2015.“We are aware of
the legal quandary facing the administration due to an unreasonable set
of conditions that Congress posed for allowing the Palestinian mission
to operate,” CEO Debra DeLee said. “We believe the administration and
Congress can find a way around these conditions to advance the cause of
Israeli-Palestinian peace.”Pro-Israel groups have otherwise not weighed
in on the decision. Israel’s government has said it “appreciates” what
is an American decision to make.

Palestinian factions call
for presidential, legislative elections by end of 2018-These would be
first votes since 2006; After two days of negotiations in Cairo, sides
still deadlocked over the fate of Hamas's military wing-By Dov
Lieber-TOI-23 November 2017

Palestinian factions on
Wednesday called for legislative and presidential elections by the end
of 2018, in a declaration released after two days of talks in Cairo.The
factions include the main Palestinian political groups, including Fatah,
which controls the Palestinian Authority, as well as Hamas, the terror
group that has controlled the Gaza Strip for the last decade, along with
11 other groups.The factions called on the Central Election Commission
and the relevant parties to “complete all its preparatory work for the
holding of presidential and legislative elections… by the end of 2018
and to authorize [Palestinian Authority] President Mahmoud Abbas to set
the date of the elections,” according to the text of the declaration.The
last Palestinian parliamentary elections were in 2006 and there have
been no presidential elections since 2005.The text also called for
elections for the Palestinian National Council, which is the parliament
of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).The factions referred to
the PLO as the “sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian
people.”Abbas is currently the head of the PLO as well as the
Palestinian Authority. Hamas is not in the PLO, but said it would like
to join the umbrella group.The declaration also called for the
reinstatement of two inter-factional committees: the Social
Reconciliation Committee, which was tasked with mending broken ties
between Palestinians due to the 2007 fighting between Fatah and Hamas;
and the Freedoms Committee, which is supposed to ensure political and
civil rights, such as the freedom of assembly.Wednesday’s declaration
was part of ongoing reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas that
began last month.At the last round of talks in Cairo, Hamas agreed to
allow the PA to retake governmental control of the Gaza Strip. Since
then, Palestinian Authority ministers have begun to take over their
offices in the Strip, and on November 1 it resumed control of the border
crossings into the enclave.The PA is supposed to retake full civil
control of the Gaza Strip by December 1, ending 10 years of Hamas rule
over the enclave.The declaration did not explicitly deal with what many
consider to be the most difficult obstacle facing the reconciliation
process, the fate of Hamas’s 25,000-strong military wing.Abbas wants the
PA to be in full control of all weapons and security in the enclave,
but Hamas is refusing to give up control of its arsenal. Hamas, which
seeks the destruction of Israel, has fought three wars with Israel since
seizing power from Fatah in the Strip in 2007.PA Prime Minister Rami
Hamdallah has said a number of times that his ministries could not
govern the Strip without full control over security. The PA has also
refused to remove crippling sanctions on Gaza that include reduced
electricity.AFP contributed to this report.

Terror-wary New
York pumps up security for Thanksgiving Day Parade-Weeks after deadly
truck-ramming attack, Macy's celebration to be guarded with truck
barriers, snipers on rooftops and cops carrying assault rifles and
radiation detectors-By Colleen Long-TOI-NOV 23,17

NEW
YORK (AP) — Sand-filled sanitation trucks and police sharpshooters will
mix with glittering floats and giant balloons at a Macy’s Thanksgiving
Day Parade Thursday that comes in a year of terrible mass shootings and
not even a month after a deadly truck attack in lower Manhattan.New York
City’s mayor and police brass have repeatedly stressed that layers of
security, along with hundreds of officers, will be in place for one of
the nation’s biggest outdoor holiday gatherings, and that visitors
should not be deterred.“We had a couple of tough months as a nation,”
Police Commissioner James O’Neill said. “We won’t ever accept such acts
of hate and cowardice as inevitable in our society.”A posting last year
in an English-language magazine of the Islamic State group, which took
credit for the October 31 truck attack that killed eight people,
mentioned the Thanksgiving parade as “an excellent target.” Authorities
say there is no confirmation of a credible threat.“I want to assure the
people that we swore to protect that anytime something happens anywhere
in the world, the NYPD works with our law enforcement partners and
studies it and we learn from it and it informs our decision making going
forward,” O’Neill said.This year’s security plan includes dozens of
city sanitation trucks, which weigh about 16 tons empty and up to twice
that with sand, that will be lined up as imposing barriers to traffic at
every cross street along the 2 ½-mile parade route stretching from
Central Park to Macy’s flagship store on 34th Street.In addition,
officers with assault weapons and portable radiation detectors will walk
among the crowds, and sharpshooters on rooftops will scan building
windows and balconies for anything unusual.Mayor Bill de Blasio said
Wednesday that security at the parade increases every year “because we
understand we are dealing with a very challenging world.” He told crowds
gathered to watch the parade’s giant balloons being inflated that “the
amount of resources and personnel we put in has increased each year to
make us safer.”New York officials also are asking the tens of thousands
of spectators to be alert for anything suspicious.“There will be a cop
on every block,” said NYPD Chief of Patrol Terence Monahan. “Go to that
cop and say something.”The 91st annual parade begins at 9 a.m. local
time. Smokey Robinson, Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, Flo Rida and Wyclef Jean
will be among the stars celebrating, along with performances from the
casts of Broadway’s “Anastasia,” ”Dear Evan Hansen” and “SpongeBob
SquarePants.”New balloons added this year include Dr. Seuss’ Grinch,
Olaf from the smash movie “Frozen,” and a puppy called Chase from
Nickelodeon’s “Paw Patrol.”Beyond the pageantry, police say they have
been working on security for the parade since the moment last year’s
parade ended. It’s a plan that got renewed attention after a terror
attack in lower Manhattan October 31, when a man in a rented truck
barreled onto a crowded bike path near the World Trade Center, killing
eight people.Authorities said the 29-year-old suspect operated from a
playbook put out by the Islamic State group. Sayfullo Saipov, an Uzbek
immigrant, was charged with federal terrorism offenses that could
qualify him for the death penalty. According to a criminal complaint, he
made statements about his allegiance to the Islamic State group.Police
also are mindful of the October 1 mass shooting in Las Vegas in which a
high-stakes gambler and real estate investor unleashed gunfire on
country music concert-goers, killing 58 and leaving hundreds injured.The
first major New York event since the bike path attack — the New York
marathon, which drew tens of thousands of spectators and 50,000 runners
from around the world — went off with no problems.“We said right away
New York’s response is to remain strong and resilient,” de Blasio said.
“We do not back down in the face of terror threats. The city is filled
with resolve.”

Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly refused to speak to White
House officials over the phone this week, as Ramallah moved to freeze
ties over a US threat to shutter a Palestinian mission in Washington.The
call was meant to coordinate an upcoming meeting, according to the
Israeli Haaretz newspaper, citing a senior Palestinian official. The
daily did not say when the aborted call took place.On Tuesday,
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said he had been instructed
by Abbas to put ties with Washington on ice after the US State
Department informed him that the Palestine Liberation Organization
office in DC would be closed because the Palestinians had violated a
2015 US Congressional mandate.“In practice by closing the office they
are freezing all meetings and we are making that official,” Malki told
AFP.The move is likely to significantly handicap efforts by the
administration of UD=S President Donald Trump to restart moribund peace
talks between Israel and the Palestinians.According to the report, Abbas
demanded that he get clarifications regarding the PLO embassy closure
and legislation with clauses defining the PLO as a terror group, before
he would speak to the Americans.The White House denied the report.“This
is not accurate,” an administration official said without
elaborating.The report would seem to contradict White House spokesperson
Heather Nauert, who said Tuesday that contacts between Washington and
Ramallah were continuing.“Conversations will be taking place,” she said.
“We are in contact with Palestinian officials about the status of that
PLO office in Washington, as well as having conversations with them
about our larger efforts on the part of a lasting and comprehensive
peace process.”Over the weekend, the State Department informed Malki
that the PLO’s DC office would be closed because the Palestinians had
violated a US law that forbids their seeking to prosecute Israelis in
the International Criminal Court.The infringement ostensibly came when
Abbas addressed the UN General Assembly this September and urged the ICC
to “open an investigation and to prosecute Israeli officials for their
involvement in settlement activities and aggressions against our
people.”“The secretary took a very technical and very specific look at
this and determined that it was not in compliance,” Nauert said Tuesday.
She added that the State Department and White House were in “close
consultation about this.”Trump now has 90 days to consider whether the
Palestinians are in “direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel.”If
Trump determines they are, the PLO can keep the office.Earlier on
Tuesday, Malki told the PA’s official radio station, the Voice of
Palestine, that the US administration was reconsidering its decision to
close down the PLO office due to the threat by the Palestinian
leadership to freeze contacts.Malki added that if the US wanted to
review the decision to shut the office in DC, it would also have to
review all the laws passed by Congress that treat the PLO as a terrorist
organization and “disrespect relations between the two countries.”In
1987, Congress outlawed any PLO presence on US soil due to the group’s
terror activities at the time. In 1993, due to the Oslo peace process,
Congress allowed for the PLO to open a mission in DC, as long as it
stayed faithful to its commitments in the peace talks.It was not
immediately clear what meeting the White House was calling to
coordinate, but US Vice President Mike Pence is slated to visit the
region next month, including a stop in Bethlehem, where Abbas maintains a
presidential palace.According to the Haaretz report, Abbas is
considering sending top negotiator Saeb Erekat, currently in Washington
recovering from a medical operation, or security chief Majed Faraj to
meetings with US officials instead.The report noted that Abbas was open
to lower-level contacts between the countries continuing.Eric
Cortellessa and AFP contributed to this report .